Tuesday, December 29, 2009

First things first…WOW! I have never seen anything like this before. I was skeptical that it wouldn’t live up to the 10 year hype but it definitely gave you the goods.

Our story begins when a our protagonist Jake Sully (great name by the way), a paraplegic ex-marine, is awoken from a 5 year nap in cryo-stasis on his way to Pandora, a planet covered in dense jungle and inhabited by a humanoid-ish race of 10 foot tall blue hunters called the Na’vi. Since the air is poisonous to breath and negotiators are needed, Jake is given an Avatar to control.Avatars are remote controlled bodies that are identical to the local Na’vi population. While Jake can’t walk in his human body, in his Avatar he is footloose and fancy free. The scene where he is in his Avatar for the first time and can walk, run, jump and play basketball is great. His childlike joy is infectious.A major mining corporation wants the rock that is under the massive tree that the Na’vi live in. Jake is supposed to either help negotiate them out of there or find a weakness that the corporation and their ex-military thugs can exploit. At first Jake is on board with the plan but after getting separated from his group on his first mission, Jake (in his Avatar body) is taken in by the tribe and taught the ways of the Na’vi. Eventually comes to appreciate their ways and also falls in love.

I have not seen special effects like this in my life. I saw this in 2D because a friend of ours had seen it in both 2D and 3D. He suggested we see it first in 2D because while some things are popping out of the screen a lot of other things are blurred…and you will want to look at everything else. He was right.

It was jaw dropping. The world that is created is gorgeous, creative, fantastic and phenomenal. At one point in the movie I was so immersed in the world that I had forgotten that I was in the movie theater, and that was in the 2D.

Honestly, at first the Na’vi people look very similar - you’re so focused on them being big and blue - but as you watch and get more into the storyline, you begin to see the subtle physical and personality differences that make them unique individuals. It was fascinating. The vegetation and wildlife are equally engrossing and beautiful.

The story was fantastic! Classic yet so different that it felt brand new. You WILL get connected to all of the characters and make audible noises when something bad happens to them. I will say that the main villain felt very cliché, one dimensional, almost a caricature of a bad movie villain from the 70’s or 80’s. But all the other characters had incredible depth and believability.

Things you should know:

- Avatar is long. 3-hour kind of long. Make sure you go to the bathroom beforehand and stay light on the beverages - you don’t want to miss anything because of a bathroom break!

- Avatar is not for very young children. The first half? Yes, all ages could see it but the second half has some violence that I wouldn’t recommend for younger kids. You come to care about the people and the planet and the bad guys come in with weapons blazing and no mercy. Characters you love die, and even Alyssa got very upset when a horse-like creature was burned alive and a panther-like animal was gutted.

- Avatar is emotionally and physically exhausting. It could have something to with the length but I think is also has to do with how involved you become within the story. You ride this rollercoaster of feelings and we were all very tired afterward.

When I walked out I was having trouble finding the words to describe what I had seen, which for me is a cosmic anomaly that happens once every 400 years. Without further ado, I’ll simply say…

See this movie. And see it on the big screen. Avatar is one of the few movies that lives up to all the hype! Grab a ticket and GO!

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

And so for the maiden voyage we picked Sword of the Stranger! An amazing story of a boy and his dog...and his unbeatable samurai bodyguard.

Sword of the Stranger begins with a boy named Kotaro who is on the run from the Royal Army of China's Ming Dynasty. His faithful dog Tobimaru is by his side.

Early in their journey they meet a nameless samurai with whom Kotaro is less than warm but No-Name, as Kotaro calls him, is deemed a worthy companion by Tobimaru (dogs always know best!)

When Tobimaru is poisoned protecting No-Name, Kotaro is forced to hire him as his bodyguard to save his beloved dog and best friend.

Sword of the Stranger is now one of my favorite movies. Perhaps it slows a bit in the middle but that is easily overlooked because of the fabulous voice acting, the awesome animation, and the compelling storyline.

You care deeply about the characters and what happens to them, and it will have you naming your next pet Tobimaru. The fight sequences are realistic with a sliver of the ridiculous that makes everything feel less serious and more exciting.BE WARNED SQUEAMISH MOVIE GOERS! (Written in red to accentuate some of the over-the-top bloodiness in some of the fight scenes.) While not oozing buckets of gore it does have a few parts that had Alyssa going "Ewww!" She's such a wuss.

If you have the means to see Sword of the Stranger I highly recommend you do so. Great characters, great plot, great fights... An overall winner!

Jessica at Shut Up I'm Reading (gotta love the name) has made it to 200 followers so, of course that means contest time. Here's what she's got going...

There will be 3 winners. The "Grand Prize Winner" will get to pick two books out of the stack. The "Second Place Winner" gets the next turn, and will be able to pick one book of of the remaining choices. The "Third Place Winner" will get to pick one book of of the remaining choices as well.

My Story: Blogs by Four MilitaryTeensis a series of blogs by four military teens that highlights their feelings and experiences before, during, and after parental deployment. It provides support and education for all military teens and pre-teens by honoring their unique joys and sacrifices, addressing their fears and hopes, and exploring how parental deployment affects their lives.

Although the four youth in My Story are fictional, the stories are real—the blogs are a compilation of real life experiences of military kids we have been honored to meet and learn from.The blogs in My Story address issues such as:

While I don't have a parent or close relative in the military, I found this book very interesting. It highlights each teen giving personal and emotional insights into how having a parent in the military affects not only their lives and the lives of the whole family. Because the writing is based on real teenage experiences, it comes across as very honest and relatable to young adults.

I'm blessed to have both of my parents home for the holidays but I realize many kids don't have that luxury. I appreciate all that our armed forces do for our country, but didn't really think how their children sacrifice as well. Their parents can suddenly be gone for months and even years.

Teens who are going through this experience can use My Story to relate to others and understand that they are not alone. Parents and loved ones of teens who are affected by having a mom or dad in the military can use this book to get a greater insight into what the kids may be going through, but not always expressing.

I decided to take the quiz. Here is my result and I left a link below so you can do it too!

Your Holiday Wish is Being with Family and Friends

The holidays are near and dear to your heart. You don't need much to make you happy this time of year. As long as you're able to be near the people you love most, you are content. It's really that simple.

You want nothing more than a full house of people celebrating the season. It doesn't matter if it's your house or not, just as long as everyone is there. And if someone doesn't happen to be around during the holidays, you think about him or her often. You get very sentimental this time of year.

This wasn't a surprising conclusion. I'm a confirmed homebody who loves to hang out with my family (even those annoying brothers of mine), preferably in my pj's, talking, laughing, relaxing, playing games and just being together! And eating great food, of course! It's a fun quiz and I thought you'd like to take the quiz and find out...

Monday, December 21, 2009

I'm so thankful to Natalie from Mindful Musings on this one. Movie Mondays? I'm all over that.For this Monday, I'm choosing Graceling by Kristin Cashore. And just go ahead and chuckle over the character's names, I know I did.

Katsa, the main character, is supposed to be beautiful, but deadly - her natural talent is killing. I think Ashley Green (Alice in Twilight) would be perfect for the part.

Prince Po was cunning, sweet and, when he needed to be, deadly. Ian Somerholder (Damon in Vampire Diaries) can do alluring and confident with a soft side.

Prince Raffin, Katsa's cousin and best friend, is a healer in every sense of the word. He's caring, nurturing, smart, ambitious, and, of course, handsome. I think Zac Efron would be a good fit.

Princess Bitterblue (Snort out a laugh, it's alright) is Prince Po's cousin. She's frail and young, but strong and seen more than tragedy than most adults. Lara Robinson is adorable and could pull off being a princess.

King Leck. A charismatic mastermind. Nathan Fillion (Mal in Firefly and currently Rick Castle in TV's Castle) would be perfect to play the wonderful king. Why? Because everyone loves King Leck and everyone loves Nathan Fillion. Perfect match

Alright guys, what do you think? Are my picks spot on? Or do you think I'm way off -- like I live on Pluto off?

UPDATE:: Misty just told me I have TWO more books coming! She's so generous! Can't wait! I will not peek, I will not peek, I will not peek...

Now for Jake's...

Jake's Secret Santa:

I am a huge...HUGE... Jim Butcher fan. I've read and re-read his Dresden Files books and am anxiously awaiting the next in the series. I don't have all the books in the series and I didn't have one of my favorites - Proven Guilty - until now!

The lovely and generous Steph from Steph the Bookwormwas kind enough to send it to me since she is my Secret Santa!But that's not all! I've been wanting to read Butcher's YA fantasy novels but haven't gotten to them yet. So Steph helped me out there too by sending my Furies of Calderon, the first book in the series!

A great big Thank You to Steph for her thoughtfulness. I'm really going to enjoy these!And by the way, she is also having a Six Book Giveaway that you'll want to check out!

I had the pleasure of meeting writer Suzette Saxton through Query Tracker when I won that writing contest last month. She was the one who contacted me about my win and we've been sending a few emails back and forth. What a great lady!

Writing can be such a solitary endeavor, but by adding the social networking aspects, Query Tracker has opened a whole new way for writers to connect with and help other writers!

"QueryTracker.net - Not just for queries any more.

We all know that online networking is essential for writers to succeed in this modern age. So what do writers do? We haunt Facebook, Twitter, and blogs. I found myself wishing for a central listing site of WRITERS, a simple way to connect with all their sites from one single page."

If you're a writer or are interested in writing, Query Tracker is a fabulous way to find out about agents and track your querying activities.. and now a way to socially network. You can sign up for free!

So, any fellow writers, head over to the post. They lay out the new tools and how to use them. Have fun!

Saturday, December 19, 2009

The lovely and talented Taschima from the fantastic blog Bloody Bookaholic is our new affiliate and we couldn't be happier! Now we have two since we're already affiliated with the beautiful and generous Natalie @ Mindful Musings. Wow! Talk about keeping great company!We just got the word about becoming affiliated with Tashima and coincidentally she's having a killer Holiday Blowout Contest to celebrate the season and having over 500 followers... well, now over 600! She's having multiple winners of lots of books and gift cards. You don't want to miss this! Head on over and enter because it ends 12/25.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Synopsis:This book is for every girl with a secret, which pretty much means every one. Our secrets help us, hurt us, and sometimes even haunt us beyond high school. Secrets like:

I hate the way I look.My boyfriend yells at me.I'm cheating my way through chemistry.I lost my virginity and regret it.I went to a party and didn't tell my parents.My mom drinks too much.

By revealing the personal stories, struggles, and secrets of other teen girls, Carrie Silver-Stock shows how to deal with everyday stresses by being self-reliant, not silent, and how to get real about what matters.

I'm going a little different today by reviewing a non-fiction book. We always say no to requests to review non-fiction books but we made an exception for Secrets Girls Keep because we thought it might be something beneficial for our followers.

I have a great home/family life and we talk about everything but this was still an interesting and informative read, full of great advice about lots of things girls deal with.

Here's a list of the Chapter Titles:

7 Tips Every Girl Needs to Deal with Any Problem

Beauty is a Beast

Boys, Boys, Boys

Best of Friends or Worst of Enemies

Funky Family Stuff

Dealing with School, Now and Beyond

Are You Cyber Savvy?

Dealing with the Tough Stuff

What's Your Secret?

I also liked the way the book is laid out. That may sound shallow but when your target audience is teenage girls, you want if to be appealing to the eye or they aren't going to want to read. It is a readable format and organized in a way that is inviting to look at. There are short little blurbs tucked in on the sides and various quizzes to take throughout.

One of my favorite additions is having quotes from teenage girls talking about a personal experience that is relevant to the chapter subject. This gives the book a personal touch and a sense of real life that other girls can relate to.

Silver-Stock's voice is positive, fun and informative without sounding preachy or like she's giving a lecture. She comes across as a trusted friend giving out helpful advice.

I enjoyed this book and think is could be a positive influence for girls in general but also for someone who is having problems and could use some good advice. Hey, it's tough out there for teenage girls and every bit of good advice helps.

The official fan site is here, and Silver-Stock has a social networking site that "provides support, advice, and tips on the issues teen girls struggle with most."

GIVEAWAY

So here is a spontaneous giveaway for our followers. If you'd like it for someone you know or for yourself, just fill out the form. And, sure it's international!

I'll leave the giveaway open until Dec. 20 (11:59 PST)

To Enter:

1) You need to fill out the form below.2) Comment on this post.

No extra points since it's just a quickie and honestly, I'm just trying to get it into the hands of someone who could really use it.

FYI: Our next MegaGiveaway will be announced next week so keep a look out!